


To the Soft Breeze

by J (jaywright)



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Caleb Widogast Deserves Nice Things, Dom Caduceus Clay, Dom/sub Play, M/M, Scratching, Sub Caleb Widogast, Trans Caduceus Clay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:07:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26671117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaywright/pseuds/J
Summary: "Don't worry, it's pretty hard to embarrass me."Caleb laughed weakly.  "I know, but it's very easy to embarrass myself."
Relationships: Caduceus Clay/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 9
Kudos: 161





	To the Soft Breeze

**Author's Note:**

> expanded from a kinkmeme fill for this prompt: https://criticalkink.dreamwidth.org/3194.html?thread=1497978#cmt1497978
> 
> contains additional mention of implied previous Caleb/Astrid/Eadwulf

There was energy sparking under Caleb's skin.

Sleeping was out of the question, so instead he tried to work, tried to read, paced his room. Nothing helped. He felt tight and caged in, his hands trembling as he clenched his fingers and released them, Frumpkin's eyes carefully following each slow rotation he made across the floor.

"Mrow," the cat berated him eventually, leaping down from the bed and flopping down in front of the door, rolling around luxuriously.

Caleb sighed. "Where is there to go?" he asked. "Out on the street, there will be people. In the house, someone may hear me and want to talk. Upstairs, there is Caduceus. There is nowhere to go where I won't face someone, and I am not up for that right now. No, we stay here." He lasted another three minutes and forty seconds before letting out another sigh, digging his nails into his palm as he watched the cat stretch his paws tragically under the doorframe. "You are a menace," Caleb told him, opening the door. Frumpkin leapt to his feet, skittered out into the hallway, and streaked off toward the staircase. Caleb gave a wry smile. "You're on your own," he called after him in a low voice.

Alone in his room, however, the walls began to feel even more oppressive. Without Frumpkin's eyes on him, he felt even more jittery and out of sorts, practically vibrating with the need to _do_ something, only the _something_ was nebulous and out of reach.

"Fine," he said aloud to the walls finally. "You are right, cat. The roof is probably the least objectionable of our options." He left the room, closing the door behind him, and turned for the stairs.

The stone that lined the twisting staircase was soothingly cool under his touch as he wound his way upward, and the evening air was a relief on his cheeks as he emerged into the night. Faint lights were glowing in the tree above, and he could see Caduceus stretched out at the base of it a book open in front of him, Frumpkin loafed contentedly in the dip of his spine. His breathing was slow and steady, lifting Frumpkin gently with every inhale, and Caleb couldn't tell from this distance if his eyes were open.

He crossed to the edge of the roof and climbed onto the wall there, letting his legs dangle over the edge as he looked out over the city lights of Rosohna. The cool air he breathed in with great gulps seemed to steady his fingers a little as he let them curl around the edge of the wall, still trembling faintly. 

"I was wondering," he heard Caduceus say behind him, eventually, "if you'd be joining us, or if your friend had decided to visit on his own." Frumpkin leapt up onto the wall beside Caleb, and Caleb let a hand fall to his ruff, scritching his fingers into the soft fur.

"I didn't really feel like seeing anyone," Caleb said. He smiled wryly down into the placidly blinking eyes of his cat. "Frumpkin, it seems, had other plans."

"Ah," Caduceus said easily. "Well, I can go back to – "

"No," Caleb said, too quickly. "Uh," he added, flustered, "that is, I do not mind you being here. I am the one invading your rooftop, after all."

"This is everyone's rooftop." Caduceus leaned against the wall beside him, forearms stretched out against the stone, hands dangling next to Caleb's legs. "I could have taken a room inside if I wanted one. I like being here to see people when they come up to enjoy – " he waved a hand at the tree, the shrines, the view. "Everything. But I have lots of practice giving people their space, too, when they need it."

"I don't know that space is what I need," Caleb admitted. He hadn't _wanted_ to see anyone, but he couldn't deny that the feeling of Caduceus leaning warm against his side was starting to soothe him, ground him in exactly the ways that he had missed for so long. "I…I'm not sure what I need." It was a lie, and he could tell that Caduceus knew it by the way his eyes shifted up to look at Caleb sideways, then dropped to his shaking hands.

He half expected Caduceus to say _"I do,"_ but instead he looked back up to Caleb's face. "Is there anything that has helped you before? When you feel like…" he waved one of his hands expressively. "Whatever it is you're feeling like right now?"

"I…" Caleb felt a flush creeping up his neck. "There are some things, yes. But nothing that is quite…accessible right now." He waited for Caduceus to prompt him for more, but he didn't. Caleb bit his lip, considering, and continued hesitantly. "There was a time in my life when I had…friends. They knew how to give me what I needed."

"Ah." Caleb looked out at the city to avoid seeing the sympathy in Caduceus's eyes, and felt a jolt go through his body as the solid warmth of a wide hand dropped to his knee, fingers squeezing gently. "You have friends here," Caduceus reminded him.

"I." Caleb swallowed. "I know." He drew in a shaky breath. "But I am not…friends with anyone here in the way that I was with them."

"No one is ever the same kind of friend with any two people," Caduceus said sagely. "But if you mean the kind of friends that you have sex with, I know there are people here who could give you that, if it's what you're looking for." He eyed Caleb. "It's okay," he said, "you can tell me whatever it is. Don't worry, it's pretty hard to embarrass me."

Caleb laughed weakly. " _Ja_ ," he said, "I know, but it's very easy to embarrass myself." His face was flaming with heat, but he swallowed, lifting his eyes above the city before continuing. "It would help, sometimes, to be…" he hesitated, but Caduceus's hand was still warm and steadying against his leg, and the thought of feeling it against his skin more insistently, more intentionally, was intoxicating. "To be told what to do. To not have to think for myself, for a while. Maybe sex, yes, like you said, but only…only to do what they asked of me. To give them what they wanted. Maybe to let them hurt me. To be…" his voice faded as he said, " _theirs_."

Caduceus was still and quiet beside him for a long moment, and Caleb felt panic begin to surge through him before Caduceus's fingers went tighter around his knee, squeezing lightly. "Yeah, okay, I think I could do that." Caleb let out a shaky breath, looking down at him, his eyes feeling wild, like he needed to look everywhere at once, but as soon as they caught Caduceus's wide dark gaze, he felt something in him settle. "That is," Caduceus continued, "if you would be interested in that. Being…" he hesitated. "Mine."

Caleb swallowed. "I," he said. He let his hand fall on top of Caduceus's, tangling their fingers together. "You do not have to do this for me," he said.

"I'm not," Caduceus replied. "I'm doing it because it sounds interesting. It sounds like something I'd like. And you're telling me that it's something you know you like. So that's twice as good, right?" He squeezed Caleb's hand, then pulled away, pushing himself up off the wall and stepping away, stretching. "C'mon," he said, "I've made a nice cozy spot around back of the tree." He held out a hand to Caleb.

Caleb swung his legs around and slid off the wall, pausing to look at Frumpkin, curled into a loaf and blinking sleepily out at the city lights. He snapped his fingers, and the cat vanished. He turned to fit his hand into Caduceus's, letting him lead him to the far end of the roof.

The space in the far corner had been converted to something that could best be described as a nest, all soft fabrics and gentle sloping cushions of different heights, with lights cascading down from the tree above, plants and other growths making a gentle canopy around it, providing just enough privacy from the house and the city. Caduceus led him to the edge of it, then paused, reaching for Caleb's other hand as well, turning to face him, eyes intent.

"You haven't answered," he said.

"I." Caleb's eyes were fixed on their fingers, twisted together so that he could hardly feel the energy thrumming under his skin. "I'm sorry, I've forgotten the question."

"Are you interested," Caduceus said, his voice lower as he stepped forward into Caleb's space, looking down at him, "in being mine?"

" _Yes_." Caleb breathed out the word, looking up into Caduceus's gentle face. "Please."

Caduceus nodded. "I will trust you," he said, "to tell me if you don't like anything." A flicker of expression crossed his face. "Unless," he said carefully, "you are interested in me not listening to you if you say something like that. If that's the plan, we'd need to – "

"No," Caleb said, a little too forcefully. He winced. "I…" He swallowed. "I have been interested in that, in the past," he admitted. "But I do not think I would like it from you."

"Easy enough, then," Caduceus said. "Thank you for telling me. In that case, if you would like me to stop, or change something, or pause, or anything at all, just say so, okay?" Caleb nodded mutely. "Okay, Caleb?" Caduceus asked, more firmly.

Caleb looked up at him. " _Ja_ ," he said. "Okay."

"Good." Caduceus smiled fondly down at him. "You're going to be very good at this," he decided, and just the words sent a surge of pleasant warmth down Caleb's spine. "Well, then." Caduceus looked him over. "Would you like to be naked?"

"I…" Caleb hesitated. "If you – "

"Don't overthink it," Caduceus said, an unfamiliarly sharp edge to his tone. "Would you like to take your clothes off for me?"

"Yes," Caleb replied, the answer tumbling from his lips before he had time to rationalize his way out of it.

"Good," Caduceus said. "You should do that, then." He dropped Caleb's hands and backed away, settling himself comfortably down onto one of the cushions that was about the height of a chair. He leaned back into the soft fabric and watched appreciatively as Caleb reached for the buttons of his shirt.

He stripped his clothes off efficiently, not really knowing how or wanting to make a show of it, but each time he'd peek up at Caduceus, he could see his eyes sweeping over him almost hungrily. Once his clothes had all fallen to the floor, he shifted on his feet, looking up to Caduceus for direction.

"Here," Caduceus said. He gestured to the space on the floor of the nest beside him.

Caleb felt his breath catch at the thought of going to his knees for Caduceus, but without a more explicit command, he simply stepped forward and stood in the space that Caduceus had indicated, waiting. Caduceus reached up, his fingertips light and soft against Caleb's jaw, tracing upward until his hand was cupping his face, wide and warm and grounding.

"You said you like to be hurt," Caduceus said.

Caleb drew in a sharp breath. "Yes," he said, a little helplessly. "If you – "

"The body in pain," Caduceus interrupted him, "can have very similar reactions to the body in pleasure. I imagine it would be equally enjoyable to watch you experience either." Caleb was still trembling, but he suspected that now it was more from anticipation and desire than unspent energy. "What type of pain do you like?"

"Whatever you'd give me," Caleb breathed out, and he let his head drop to the side, pressing a hot open kiss to Caduceus's palm, the skin soft and faintly velvety under his lips. 

Caduceus's thumb brushed over his cheek tenderly before his fingers tightened on Caleb's jaw, turning his head forward again. "I asked a question, Caleb." The sharp tone was back.

Caleb let out a low groan. "Biting," he said, "scratching, slapping. Whips, canes, blades. Whatever will make me _feel_ something." His face was impossibly hot with shame, but when he met Caduceus's eyes, he saw no judgement there, and maybe even a spark of interest.

"Good," Caduceus said, and his hand fell from Caleb's cheek to his shoulder, pushing him downward. Caleb let his legs fold, and all but collapsed onto his knees in the plush nest, Caduceus's hand staying heavy on his shoulder. "Thank you for telling me that, Caleb." 

Caleb nodded in acknowledgement, feeling the steady warmth of Caduceus's touch spreading through him. He let his head fall at the end of the nod, his neck stretching pleasantly as he looked downward, feeling Caduceus's eyes on him but not looking up to meet them.

Slowly, eventually, Caduceus lifted his hand to Caleb's hair, and it took Caleb a moment to realize this his fingers were undoing the tie there, letting his hair fall softly around his face. Caduceus let the tie fall to the ground, and his fingers raked up against Caleb's scalp with just the hint of a scrape of claws, sending a shiver running down his spine.

"C'mere," Caduceus said in a low rumble, cupping his hand around the back of Caleb's head and tugging until Caleb scooted closer on his knees, settling himself comfortably just beside Caduceus's feet. "Mm," Caduceus rumbled in approval, "better," and his heavy hand pressed at Caleb's head until he slowly leaned in and rested his flushed face against Caduceus's thigh, letting his eyes flutter closed as both of Caduceus's hands sank into his hair and started carding through it.

"Oh," he breathed out across Caduceus's lap. He let one of his hands curl around Caduceus's ankle, holding on, and Caduceus didn't pull away. Instead, his fingers kept up a steady rhythm through his hair, down his neck, over his upper back, and with each pass, they dug in just a bit harder, until Caleb was gasping at the hot streaks of sharpness wearing themselves into his skin.

"You're really beautiful like this," Caduceus said above him, dropping his hands just to Caleb's back, shoulders, upper arms, his claws scratching marks across him. "Kneeling for me." He dragged another hot stripe of his hand over Caleb's back. "Hurting for me." Caleb let out a quiet moan, muffling it against Caduceus's thigh. "No, none of that," Caduceus said. He reached to tangle his fingers into Caleb's hair and tilt his head almost roughly to the side. "Let me hear you."

Caleb gasped out a breath, and when Caduceus's nails trailed down his neck, he dutifully let out a hiss of pain.

Caleb could have counted every second that Caduceus spent raking his claws over him, but instead he chose not to. He closed his eyes and drifted on the sharp sweetness of the pain, the anchoring softness of Caduceus's warm leg beneath his cheek.

Eventually, the sensations started to fade into the gentle touch of Caduceus's fingertips against him, tracing over the lines he'd left, pressing the cool soothing magic of healing into his body, and Caleb felt like he might be floating right out of his skin as he felt it fold back together neatly under Caduceus's touch.

It was only then that he started to really feel his arousal, to feel his cock full and heavy against his stomach where he was bent over to rest his head on Caduceus's lap, and slowly, hesitantly, he lifted his head to stretch his back and give his lower body some space. 

"Would you like to sit up?" Caduceus asked. 

Caleb froze. "I. Uh." He felt lost, unsure.

"I'd like you to sit up, Caleb," Caduceus rephrased, and Caleb felt instantly better. "I'd like you to make yourself comfortable, and I'd like to see exactly how much you enjoyed that." 

Caleb shifted, settling himself back against the cushions beside Caduceus, still feeling the ache of the freshly healed scrapes on his back. His cock was straining, begging to be touched, and his fingers flickered toward it before he caught control of himself, settling his hand beside him, tangling his fingers into the fabric.

"Well done," Caduceus said, and Caleb felt a flush of pride. "You know that you don't touch what's mine until I tell you that you can." A strangled sound left Caleb's lips, and his hips jerked. When he looked to Caduceus, he found that his breath was ragged, some of his composure slipping for the first time as he soaked in the sight of Caleb writhing helplessly at his words. "I wonder," he said slowly, "if I could bring you off just by talking to you."

Caleb gasped, his head falling back. He was desperate to feel something, _anything_ , against his cock, and he wasn't sure that he could give Caduceus what he wanted, but if Caduceus asked it of him... "I…" he said. "I don't know. I can try. Please. If you want me to, I'll – "

"Oh, not today," Caduceus said, and there was a shift beside Caleb as he moved downward from his seat and settled beside him. "No, today I'm going to touch you."

Caleb let out a strangled moan. He had been expecting Caduceus to tell him to touch himself at most, but this – 

"Here." Caduceus worked a hand behind Caleb's back, pressing just at the base of his neck, and pushing him forward, off the soft wall of the nest. "If you'll let me…" Caleb shifted forward, letting Caduceus settle behind him, and then Caduceus's arms were curling around him, pulling Caleb back against his chest with a tight grip. 

Caleb melted into him, the solid heat of Caduceus's arm across his chest a welcome relief. He let his head tip back against Caduceus's shoulder. "Please," he begged, his hips rolling upward into nothing, " _bitte_."

"You're stunning like this," Caduceus said, voice low beside Caleb's ear, vibrating through his body. "I could keep you like this for hours, couldn't I?" There was a familiar almost academic interest to his voice, something Caleb dimly recognized from himself, a curiosity about how far he could push something until it broke, and that in itself was almost painfully erotic, the idea of Caduceus methodically pushing every one of his buttons to see what each one would do. 

Instead, this time, Caduceus's mouth closed hot against Caleb's throat, and his hand closed hot around his cock, and Caleb's whole body jerked like Caduceus had shot him through with electricity.

He writhed in Caduceus's arms, his whole existence narrowing to the slick drag of Caduceus's fist around his cock, the suction of his lips against his neck and shoulder, the firmness of his arm across his chest, holding Caleb tight to him, grounding him, keeping him close and warm and _safe_.

He reached the edge impossibly fast, and the warning that he choked out was in Zemnian, pleading and gasping and shaking in Caduceus's arms.

Caduceus stilled, his fingers still wrapped around Caleb's cock, but his other hand dropped from Caleb's chest to his hip, holding him tight, not letting Caleb thrust up into his grip. Caleb let out a helpless sob, his head rolling against Caduceus's shoulder.

"You've done so well for me, Caleb," Caduceus said. His thumb brushed over the head of Caleb's cock, and Caleb's muscles jerked and twitched in desperation. He pressed the softest, most gentle kiss to Caleb's neck, just beneath his jaw. "I want to give this to you."

"Please," Caleb breathed out. "Caduceus..." 

"I should make you earn it," Caduceus continued, in the same steady almost conversational tone. "You looked so pretty on your knees for me before. Maybe I should have kept you there longer, used your mouth for myself before touching you at all." His hand began to move again, too slowly, and his other arm lifted to its previous position around Caleb's chest, holding him close, leaving his hips free to roll up into the touch. Caleb's body responded immediately, thrusting helplessly up through Caduceus's fingers. "Or perhaps, I could just stop – " his hand came to a standstill, Caleb's hips still driving his cock into his grip, "and let you do all the work." He waited a few strokes before moving again, and Caleb whimpered at the increased sensation as the wide hand met his thrusts at a counterpoint, sliding slick and tight over his cock. "The problem is," Caduceus said, "you make it so easy to just _give_ this to you. I can't demand anything of you in return, because all I want right now is to see what you look like when you fall apart."

Caleb was panting, his whole body strung tight as he rocked into Caduceus's grip, overwhelmed with the pleasure of it and the need to do exactly what Caduceus asked of him, _anything_ he asked – 

"Let go, Caleb," Caduceus whispered against his ear, "let me see it," and he lowered his lips to Caleb's shoulder in a hot kiss. 

Caleb narrowed down to nothing but pleasure, the waves of it shattering through him as he clung to Caduceus, turning to bury his face against Caduceus's neck, one of his hands coming to clamp down around the wrist of the arm across his chest. His other hand braced against the floor, and he fucked up into Caduceus's hand, hard and desperate, letting all control drain out of him in a way he hadn't in so many years. 

"Good," Caduceus said against his throat, "Yeah." His teeth closed on the skin there, marking him, claiming him, and it was the sharp rush of pain darting through him that brought Caleb over the edge, coming into Caduceus's hand with an unrestrained cry.

He drifted, his face buried in the curve of Caduceus's neck, and he dimly felt Caduceus's hands smoothing over his body, gentle waves of touch across his hips, thighs, chest that somehow both prolonged and eased away the rush of pleasure that had coursed through him. When he finally let his eyes blink open, feeling his eyelashes drag across Caduceus's soft skin, he could still feel the echoes of his orgasm in his muscles, but all the jittery tension had drained out of him, leaving him pliant and comfortable in Caduceus's arms.

"Wow," Caduceus said as Caleb finally lifted his head to look at him. "You're really something."

Caleb breathed out a laugh, still not quite able to take Caduceus's praise without his cheeks heating with embarrassment. "You are good at this," he said.

A pleased smile curved over Caduceus's lips. "Yeah, I think I am, aren't I?" He lifted a hand to Caleb's face, touching it softly, brushing his rumpled hair back behind an ear. "Good. I'm glad I can do that for you."

Caleb reached up to touch the hand, Caduceus's skin warm and soft under his fingers. "Now," he said, raising his eyebrows a little teasingly. "What is it that I can do for you?"

"Oh," Caduceus's eyebrows shot up. "Uh, no, that was…nice. That was good. I liked that. You don't have to – "

"I know I don't have to," Caleb said. He finally pulled away from the circle of Caduceus's arms, but stayed there in the space between his legs, settling himself onto his knees again. "I am not offering because I feel that I owe you. Although I do, and we will speak of that another time. No, I'm offering because you made me feel…" he swallowed. "Better than I have in more years than I can count, and I am able to count anything and everything. So I would like to make you feel good as well, in whatever way you like." He raked his eyes down Caduceus's body. "You did mention my mouth," he reminded him.

Caduceus's face flushed to match his hair. "I. Oh, I did do that, didn't I?" He swallowed. "It was just…speculation. A fantasy. It doesn't have to be…"

"It is a fantasy I share," Caleb assured him. He reached for the lacings of Caduceus's trousers, but Caduceus reached out to catch his wrist.

"Uh, no, I'll – " Caduceus said, and pulled his knees up, removing his legs from where they bracketed Caleb's body. "I, um. Well." He stood, his long body unfolding, and Caleb watched appreciatively from his knees as Caduceus pulled off his shirt and dropped his hands to undo his trousers. After a moment's hesitation, he pushed them off and kicked them away, leaving himself standing bare above Caleb, a long expanse of soft gray skin, pale hair spreading down from his chest to a soft patch between his legs. 

Caleb felt a soft smile of admiration twist his lips as he looked up at him. He wanted to touch every inch of that skin, to hear the sounds that Caduceus would make as Caleb's lips traced their way across him. When their eyes met, he could see the moment where any hesitation Caduceus had been feeling melted away under the intensity of Caleb's clear interest.

Caduceus gave him a matching smile. "You do," he said, his voice dropping into the lower, more confident tone that had so undone Caleb before, "look very good like this." He reached out to touch his thumb to Caleb's lips, and Caleb sucked it into his mouth eagerly, swirling his tongue around the tip of it, drawing a sharp breath from Caduceus. 

Caduceus pulled his hand away almost reluctantly, and backed up until his knees hit the seat he had used before. He folded down into it and let his legs drop apart, which was all the encouragement Caleb needed to crawl forward, settling himself onto his knees between Caduceus's legs. He rested his hands on Caduceus's thighs, sliding them upwards slowly until they bracketed his hips, feeling the shiver that ran through Caduceus at the slow drag of his touch.

Caduceus's hand fell heavy on the back of Caleb's head, and Caleb looked up at him. He parted his lips, closed his eyes, and let his head and neck go slack against his touch, enjoying the sharp indraw of breath from Caduceus as he recognized the offer. "Oh," he breathed out slowly, and his fingers went tighter, pulling deliciously at Caleb's hair, pausing there for a long moment before slowly drawing forward, reeling Caleb in until his face made contact with soft skin and roughly curling hair. His tongue marked a slow swipe upwards, and he found Caduceus devastatingly wet for him already, heard him let out a low rumble of approval at the touch. Caleb brought one of his hands down, keeping the other curled around Caduceus's hip, steadying both of them.

He began to explore with lips and tongue and fingers, learning what he liked through the quiet moans he let out as Caleb's fingers curled into him, the way his hips rolled up to chase the touch of Caleb's tongue. Caleb felt himself being almost immediately overwhelmed by the sensations of it, the slick warmth of Caduceus against his lips and tongue, the painful pleasure of his fingers tangled into Caleb's hair, the tight fluttering clench of muscle around his fingers as he gave Caduceus everything he demanded.

Caduceus's other hand joined the first against Caleb's head as his body strung tight, holding him there, grasping onto him almost helplessly, and Caleb felt it when all of the tension in him released in a sudden rush, thighs shuddering around Caleb, hips rolling up against his mouth, body clenching down around his fingers. The sound he let out was something that Caleb had never heard from him before, and he found himself desperately wanting to hear it again, to make Caduceus feel that good over and over and over again…

Caduceus's fingers went lax in his hair, and Caleb pulled away just slightly, not wanting to overstimulate him, but staying close enough that he knew Caduceus could still feel the heat of his breath, feel him ready there, waiting for anything Caduceus asked of him.

"Wow," Caduceus said, voice gravelly. One of his hands fell away, the other curving around to cup Caleb's jaw, thumb brushing over his lips. Caleb kept his eyes closed, letting his lips fall open a little at the touch. "You like doing that."

Caleb breathed out a laugh. "Yes," he agreed.

"Good," Caduceus said. His body shifted a little, settling backwards, drawing himself away from Caleb's lips in a sign that he was done for now, so Caleb let his eyes blink open to find Caduceus smiling gently down at him. "Because that is not the last time I'm going to want that from you."

Caleb let his head tilt to the side, away from Caduceus's hand, pillowing his overheated face against Caduceus's thigh. "Whenever you like," he offered.

Caduceus hummed low in acknowledgement, and Caleb felt his fingers start to trace slow patterns through his hair, across the back of his neck, following the same lines they'd made before, but this time the touch was soft, relaxing, lulling him into a quiet peace as they sat there together, the breeze and the city sounds finally beginning to filter back into his awareness.

He felt like he was waking up when he finally blinked his eyes open, and Caduceus's hand stilled in his hair, lifted, letting him sit up. He unfolded his legs from under him, stretching them out before curling them up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and looking up at Caduceus.

"Hey," Caduceus said.

Caleb felt a helpless smile spreading across his face. "Hi," he replied.

Caduceus reached down to take one of Caleb's hands, holding it up to look at. "Not so jittery anymore," he said. He looked pleased. "I think it worked."

A laugh squeezed out of Caleb, and he lifted his hand from Caduceus's, looking at it. " _Ja_ ," he said. "I think it did." He let his hand fall, expression sobering as he looked at Caduceus. "Thank you," he said earnestly, "my friend."

Caduceus gave him a grin. "Anytime," he said, the word weighted enough that Caleb knew he meant it. He gave a tremendous yawn. "Oh, that can take a lot out of you, can't it?"

Caleb smiled faintly. "It can." 

Caduceus slid down from his seat, reaching into the pile of cushions and making a blanket materialize, wrapping it around himself. He settled beside Caleb, letting an arm fall around him and pulling him close. "I don't imagine you'd be interested in staying here tonight, but you're welcome to if you'd like."

"I'm not." Caleb stiffened a little as he made the admission, but Caduceus appeared unfazed, his arm staying steady around him. "I…I became accustomed to sharing sleeping space with Nott, and with the group of you in the dome when needed, but it's taken…time, and is never as restful as sleeping alone."

Caduceus nodded. "Understandable," he said easily. He gave Caleb a tight squeeze before letting him go. "Thank you, he said. "For coming to me with this."

Caleb smiled wryly. "Thank Frumpkin," he said.

"I will," Caduceus promised, "the next time I see him." He reached out and cupped Caleb's face in his large warm hands and drew him in, kissing his forehead tenderly. "The next time you need this…"

"I will come to you," Caleb said, his voice low. He reached out to drag Caduceus to him, hold him close for a very long moment. " _Danke_ ," he whispered against Caduceus's ear, and then, just before he pulled away, he added, " _Ich bin dein_."

Caduceus's fingers tightened against him as if he understood the words.

Caleb dressed messily under Caduceus's sleepy gaze and dropped to his knees again beside him to press a soft kiss to Caduceus's temple before leaving him there, curled comfortably into his nest under the lights of the tree. 

He summoned Frumpkin on the way back down the stairs, and he scooped the cat up into his arms, letting him climb onto his shoulder. "You," he said, "are a good cat." Frumpkin made a sound that sounded like an agreement.

He opened his window when he reached his room, letting in the sounds of the city and, if he listened hard enough, the slightest rustle of wind through the leaves of the tree above. He curled up in the bed, half expecting the maelstrom in his mind to return, but instead Frumpkin climbed into the dip of his hip, and he closed his eyes, thinking of nothing. No dreams, no swirling thoughts laced with indefinable panic. 

Instead there was only peace and a purring cat, and a faint lingering ache at his throat, where he could still feel the claiming mark that Caduceus had left on his skin.


End file.
